MLB Player News

Contreras has yet to appear in the big leagues after spending the first seven years of his career between the Padres and Phillies. The 25-year-old righty struggled to a bloated 9.67 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 51/24 K/BB ratio across 44 2/3 innings (14 appearances, eight starts) last year for Double-A Reading in Philadelphia’s system. He’s merely an experimental lottery ticket for the Padres at this stage of his career.

The 30-year-old hurler was a dominant force out of the Twins’ bullpen in 2024 — compiling a 2.03 ERA, minuscule 0.87 WHIP and a 95/15 K/BB ratio across 71 innings. The club had toyed with the idea of moving Jax back to the rotation for the 2025 season, which would have made him extremely interesting from a fantasy perspective, but they announced earlier in the week that he would remain in the bullpen. Expect him to work in a setup capacity in front of Jhoan Duran and to be the next man up for the closer’s role if injury strikes.

Castro seems to have done well for himself in his final season of arbitration eligibility, as he was projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $6.2 million in arbitration. The 27-year-old super utilityman has settled into an everyday role with the Twins and is expected to function as their leadoff hitter entering the 2025 season. His combination of power and speed combined with four positions of eligibility make him an intriguing mid-round target in fantasy drafts — especially in deeper mixed leagues.

The 27-year-old backstop had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $4.7 million through the arbitration process, so it looks like a fair deal for both sides. The 2024 season was a tale of two halves for Jeffers, as he absolutely crushed the ball in the first half of the season before limping to the finish over the final couple of months. He has been a fringe top 20 catcher in early fantasy drafts for the 2025 season.

The oft-injured superstar third baseman had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.3 million in his first season of arbitration eligibility as a Super 2 player. Several stints on the injured list limited the 25-year-old to just 82 games in 2024, where he slashed .233/.295/.452 with 16 homers and 47 RBI in 325 plate appearances. His ultimate fantasy value will be determined by how long he’s able to stay on the field in 2025.

The 30-year-old right-hander wasn’t quite at his best in his first season with the Royals, posting a 3.66 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 46/20 K/BB ratio over 51 2/3 innings in his 59 appearances. He’s probably third in line for save chances behind Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey entering the 2025 season, so his usefulness from a fantasy perspective is limited to leagues that count holds.

The 26-year-old slugger was projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $2.6 million via arbitration, so this looks to be a fair pact for both sides. Melendez took a major step backwards offensively in 2024, slashing a cringe-inducing .206/.273/.400 to go along with 17 long balls, 44 RBI and four stolen bases. The power is legit, but if he can’t cut back on the strikeouts and start to make more consistent hard contact, he may very well play himself out of an everyday role with the Royals.

Isbel had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $1.7 million through the arbitration process, so it looks like an equitable arrangement for both parties. The 27-year-old defensive wizard hit just .229/.287/.367 with eight homers, 42 RBI, 11 stolen bases and an 88/27 K/BB ratio over 426 plate appearances with the Royals in 2024. He’s a much better real life player than he is an asset in fantasy leagues.

Hernández, 27, did a nice job out of the Royals’ bullpen in 2024, posting a 3.30 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 27/16 K/BB ratio over 30 innings in his 27 appearances. This is his first trip through the arbitration process and he remains under team control through the 2027 season.

The 30-year-old hurler had been projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to earn $3.9 million via arbitration, so it appears to be a fair deal for both sides. Harvey was hit hard in his six appearances with the Royals in 2024 — compiling a 6.35 ERA, 2.19 WHIP and a 5/4 K/BB ratio over 5 2/3 innings until he was shelved with a season-ending back injury. Assuming he’s healthy, expect him to function in a setup role for the Royals to start the 2025 campaign.

Bubic was terrific out of the Royals’ bullpen in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2024, registering a 2.67 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 39/5 K/BB ratio over 30 1/3 innings. The club is intent on moving him back to their starting rotation for the 2025 season, though fantasy managers should be aware that he’ll likely face some sort of workload limitations. He currently resides just inside the top 350 picks in early fantasy drafts.